This research was conducted by the following professionals:
- Ricardo Pimenta: Researcher at CIDESD, Head of Sports Science and Performance at the Futebol Clube de Famalicão Academy, and member of the FSI Lab of the Football Science Institute.
- Hugo Antunes: Strength and conditioning coach at Futebol Clube de Famalicão.
- João Ribeiro: Researcher at CIDESD and member of the Performance Optimization Department at Sporting Clube de Braga.
- Fábio Nakamura: Researcher at CIDESD and at the FSI Lab of the Football Science Institute.
- Filipe Maia: PhD student at the University of Maia, with research funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.
This work was developed by FSI Lab, the research, development, and outreach branch of the Football Science Institute.
The problem: measuring equally players who are not equal
For years, most studies and coaching staffs have defined high-speed running as the distance covered above 19.8 km/h and sprinting as efforts above 25.2 km/h. This system has been useful for its simplicity, but it presents a fundamental problem:
Not all players have the same maximum speed.
Imagine two players:
One with a maximum speed of 34 km/h
Another with 30 km/h
For the first, an “absolute” sprint of 25.2 km/h represents only 74% of their maximum speed.
For the second, it exceeds 84%.
This means that the same absolute value represents different physiological efforts. And if speed is such a decisive attribute in modern football, why do we continue to measure players with such different profiles in the same way?
The study by Pimenta and colleagues is built around this question.
How the study was designed
The authors analyzed 24 elite U-23 players, all competing in Portugal’s top national category for their age group. Data from 14 official matches were collected using high-precision GPS devices (10 Hz), FIFA-certified.
Players were classified into five positions:
Center-backs (CB)
Full-backs (FB)
Midfielders (MF)
Wingers (WG)
Strikers (ST)
The analysis compared:
Traditional absolute thresholds
HSR: >19.8 km/h
Sprint: >25.2 km/h
Normalized thresholds (% of individual maximum speed)
The keyword high-speed running is central to the study’s approach, as this concept changes drastically depending on the type of threshold used.
Overall Results: Measuring with Absolutes Completely Changes the Match Map
The first finding is striking:
Distances recorded using absolute thresholds are systematically higher than those using normalized thresholds.
Especially in sprints:
ABS-SPR average: 108 m
90% MS: 6.6 m
95% MS: 1.1 m
In other words, the traditional 25.2 km/h does not truly reflect a sprint for elite players, but rather a submaximal effort.
To understand the magnitude:
Many players did not cover a single meter above 95% of their maximum speed in the analyzed matches, even though their absolute metrics indicated a “high sprint volume.”
This has huge consequences for:
In summary:
Absolute thresholds overestimate slower players and underestimate faster ones.
High-Speed Running and Positions: Each Role Leaves Its Mark
Something particularly interesting for analysts and strength & conditioning coaches is how positional profiles change when moving from absolute to relative thresholds.
4.1 Midfielders: the most distinct pattern
Midfielders were the only position that covered more distance in the 55–70% MS threshold than in absolute HSR.
This confirms a known trend:
- Midfielders constantly move at intermediate intensity.
- They maintain sustained movement but rarely reach maximum speeds.
- Their high-speed running profile is more “metabolic,” less oriented toward maximal acceleration actions.
4.2 Full-backs and wingers: almost identical profiles
FBs and WGs shared extremely similar patterns in both absolute and normalized values.
This makes sense:
- Both cover the full width of the pitch.
- They alternate offensive and defensive efforts in sequence.
- These positions combine volume and speed.
Notably, full-backs stood out in efforts >95% MS, likely because they often cover longer distances on counterattacks, reaching higher peaks.
4.3 Forwards: a special case
Forwards showed a surprising result:
They did not register a single meter >95% MS during the studied period.
This does not mean they “don’t run,” but rather:
- Their movements are explosive but short.
- Real game situations rarely allow them to cover enough distance to reach maximum speed.
However, in absolute thresholds, they appeared as major “sprinters,” highlighting the distortion caused by traditional metrics.
Correlations: What the Data Really Means
When traditional metrics were compared with normalized ones, correlations were moderate or low, especially for sprints.
For example:
- ABS-SPR vs >95% MS: r = 0.28, a very weak relationship.
This reinforces the idea that:
Counting meters above 25.2 km/h does not accurately indicate how many true sprints a player performed.
In contrast, for high-speed running, higher correlations were observed, especially in the 60–75% MS range, suggesting that this may be a better reference point to evaluate meaningful efforts during a match.
Are the thresholds we have used for 20 years sufficient?
The authors of the study conclude that they are not.
In today’s professional football, with players reaching maximum speeds of 33 to 36 km/h, using 25.2 km/h as a sprint reference is methodologically inadequate.
That is why they propose a new classification:
New proposal of relative thresholds:
This division distinguishes between efforts with high energetic demand and efforts with high mechanical tension, more closely linked to decisive actions and to injury prevention/control.
Implications for Science and Performance Analysis
The authors of the study conclude that they are not.
In today’s professional football, with players reaching maximum speeds of 33 to 36 km/h, using 25.2 km/h as a sprint reference is methodologically inadequate.
That is why they propose a new classification:
New proposal of relative thresholds:
This division distinguishes between efforts with high energetic demand and efforts with high mechanical tension, more closely linked to decisive actions and to injury prevention/control.
Conclusion
The study by Pimenta, Antunes, Maia, Ribeiro, and Fábio Yuzo Nakamura represents a key step in the evolution of physical analysis in football. Their results clearly show that absolute thresholds are no longer sufficient to describe current performance.
Each player’s maximum speed completely changes the interpretation of what truly constitutes high-speed running and what can be considered a sprint. As this research demonstrates, the consequences are significant: they affect how we understand the game, how we evaluate each position, and how we interpret the demands a match places on the modern footballer.
In an increasingly fast and demanding game, measuring correctly is not a luxury it is a necessity. This study opens the door to a more accurate, individualized, and useful model for understanding the true nature of effort in the world’s most popular sport.
The full study can be consulted at:
Sprint and High-Speed Running in Soccer: Should We Use Absolute or Normalized Thresholds?
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